25 Random Things About Me

25 random things about me

1. I am a nervous pooer. Seriously...I pretty much can't be in the same building as someone when I am doing something as shameful as pooing. My wife thinks it is funny to mess with me in the bathroom. I think it is funny that she thinks she can do it without getting socked in the jaw.
2. When I have a nervous or awkward moment I will repeat "My name is Luke Harris" in my head or quietly out loud until the moment has passed.
3. I was allowed to date when I was 16. I didn't date until I was 20. This was not from lack of trying.
4. I used to thing girls went for the "wounded lamb" routine and would constantly throw pity parties hoping a girl would want to bed me.
5. I have insane Texas pride. I seriously love this state more than anything. I am not normally boastful or protective of anything besides Sarah, but I freakin' love Texas. It breeds winners and awesome people.
6. A wonderful day for me would be watching movies and reading comic books all day long.
7. If I have ever had too much to drink, I start talking about movies or television and my wife has to stop me. I usually get angry because I think everyone else wants to talk about movies when they are drunk.
8. I was a bed wetter for way too long. When you are going to sleepovers in Goodnights and connecting to the country star who is doing the Goodnights commercial — there is something wrong with you.
9. When we were children, my brother and I would play fun games with neighborhood children. One was "David and Goliath" where we threw rocks at my brother because he was tall. We also terrorized an ice cream man until he would no longer come down our block. We terrrorized him by dumping 300 pennies out on the counter, make him count it, then decide we didn't want ice cream or we would slam a pvc pipe on the road as he drove down the street screaming "free ice cream!" He would usually turn around and leave.
10. I am a seasoned traveler and have been to several foreign countries and hope to one day own a house in Oxford with a ledge for me and Rob Watkins to smoke our pipes on...tobacco pipes.
11. I am at the point in my life where hanging out with my parents is a treat and I am no longer afraid to go home and get yelled about grades...because I don't have grades anymore. Suck on that!
12. I am an old man at heart. I say things like "going to the show" when talking about a movie and I am a member of the Lion's Club.
13. As a child, I would connect to movie characters. At the end of "Short Circuit 2" I bawled, yelling "he was my best friend." I was not even happy when the robot was rebuilt and won his citizenship because of the trauma I had already been through.
14. I wrecked my first car on a road near my school right as school was letting out. People saw me. People laughed. My parents took me to to TGI Fridays because it was the same day I had my braces taken off. Speaking of....
15. I hate taking care of my teeth. I once had 12 cavities. By once I mean recently. I often say I would rather take all my teeth out and have dentures then ever go to the dentist again. Despite that, I still have all my teeth and a nice smile.
16. If I could punch one person in the face, it would be one of my old teachers Russ Davis for making fun of me in front of my class. In the past it has been Aaron Carter and Carrettop.
17. I am going to be sentimental and say I love my wife more than anything in the world and I am happy I married my best friend who is also super hot. I followed in my father's footsteps of marrying out of our league. My grandfather likes my wife more than me, which is OK with me. I couldn't imagine a life without Sarah. It would probably be me on the Real World as the widower who gets angry, punches someone, gets kicked off the show and shows up for all the Real World/Road Rules challenges. I would also probably drink a whole bunch.
18. I have lived an almost full life. The one thing I would like to do is be a dad. For the thrill of having children, yes, but also to torment my daughter's boyfriends with my friends and sons. I already have plans in my head. I am excited. She is going to hate me. BTW. her name will be Sirrah Hannah Harris. It is a palindrome. Read it backwards. Awesome, I know.
19. One of the things I hate most in the world is when people say "I only like independent film." Most of the time, they will then proceed to list the films nominated for Oscars for that year or just don't have anything to back it up. I hate that. Independent films are independent half the time because they suck. There are good ones, but never say "I only like independent film."
20. I sing in my car and get really into it. I have caught people laughing at me several times, which really only makes me want to sing more.
21. If I met the Polyphonic Spree and they said they were my friends I would probably cry and then die with a smile on my face. They are the best band of all time.
22. I would like to be friends with most people. I always get happy in my heart when people say I am their friend and I don't like the thought of people not liking me. Except Russ Davis, Aaron Carter and Carrettop. Those dudes can die for all I care.
23. I could eat Tyson Buffalo Tenders all day everyday forever. I love those things almost as much as I love Sarah. It is ridiculous. I even have to eat them when Sarah is out of town.
24. I love giving hugs. If you ever need a hug, please come to me. I seriously love it and I love giving hugs when people don't really want one but then I convince them that they do. Many people would call that assault, but those are the people who don't understand...like the police.
25. I once went dirt bike riding with my father and my brother and some friends. I wrecked and shredded up my arms. My father said we could go to the emergency room or go see two movies. I opted for the movies. We saw "Deep Blue Sea" and "The Thirteenth Warrior." My wound became infected later on and I still have a scar on my left elbow. I still think it was totally worth it and every time I pass Deep Blue Sea on cable, I am compelled to watch the ending. I love my brother and my dad. We are awesome manly men who laugh at the face of injury and go see bad movies while bleeding through a bandage. Take that, non-Texans.

Taken Review

Who knew a film with Liam Neeson as a hard-core spy dad would be anything but terrible?
“Taken” is a breath of fresh air in the midst of the drivel which rears its ugly head during the months of January and Febrary (you heard me “The Unborn” and “My Bloody Valentine 3-D.”)
The film follows an ex-CIA agent, Bryan Mills (Neeson), who is estranged from his 17-year-old daughter Kim (Maggie Grace), who lives with Mills’ ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen) and her new husband Stuart (Xander Berkeley).
Kim gets reluctant permission from her father and mother to go out of the country for the summer in Paris.
After the first few moments in Paris Kim receives a phone call from her father.
She then witnesses men entering the room and abducting Amanda. Mills is able to gain critical information about the kidnappers in the final moments after Kim is kidnapped by telling her to shout out everything about them she notices.
Using his contacts in the CIA and the business connections of his ex-wife’s husband, Bryan travels to Paris to find her, informed the kidnappers are sex-slavers and that he has only 96 hours to recover his daughter before she will disappear forever.
The film is as action-packed and suspenseful as one could hope for in a thriller. The film takes off at a fast pace and doesn’t slow down until the end of the film.
Neeson steps up to the plate and delivers a performance which will never again make me doubt him as an action star or a hardcore killer ready to take on any challenge thrown his way.
Normally, I might just enjoy a film and forget about it, but this film makes me want to watch it again with other people so I can talk to them about how much fun it was to watch.
I believe I could enjoy a franchise built around Neeson’s character in “Taken.” I would love to see him go into action with his other CIA buddies in other films.
There are a few downfalls in the film, which every fast-paced thriller must face.
A good thriller must be somewhat believable, but can’t be too realistic because the good guy would almost always be killed the first time he met an opponent, much less taking out five with a kitchen knife.
The believability factor is something to get hung up on if you look too closely at the situation. The movie is meant to deliver a fun time without the trouble of having to exercise brain power.
The film succeeds with flying colors in being enjoyable and fun for anyone who enjoys action or suspense.

Rating: 3 Stars

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans Review

While some franchises, especially those surrounding monsters or killers, dry up and stop producing entertaining films after the first film, “Underworld” has seemingly avoided this pitfall.
“Underworld: Rise of the Lycans” is the third installment in the “Underworld” series and is a prequel to the films starring Kate Beckinsale.
The prequel story traces the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires and their onetime slaves, the Lycans (werewolves, for those unfamiliar with monster terminology).
In the Dark Ages, a Lycan named Lucian (Michael Sheen) emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against vampire king who enslaved them, Viktor (Bill Nighy).
Lucian and his secret lover, Sonja (Rhona Mitra), who also happens to be Viktor’s daughter, try to escape the kingdom and live happily every after — or as happily ever after as vampires and werewolves can live.
Sheen, who has portrayed a slew of clean-shaven gentlemen, fit surprisingly well into the role of the werewolf leader and all around hard case who is a master of swords and crossbows.
Mitra also does her part in easyily filling Beckinsale’s shoes as the butt-kicking vampire who could kill with her looks if she needed too.
The real star of the film is Nighy. The veteran actor can pull off prim and proper as well as Sheen, but can fit the role of cruel vampire king like he was born to play the part. His speech and look serve to deliver a terrifying villain.
The film isn’t memorable in the sense of having a great plot or even having great action. It has its “ooh” moments and a few good battle scenes, but for the most part the film is average.
There are only so many times you can watch a werewolf get stabbed or a vampire get his head bitten off before getting an overwhelming sense of repetition. However, there are moments when the filmmakers mix it up by adding a giant crossbow shooting spears, which perks up the audience and grabs their attention.
It fits well in the “Underworld series, and — unlike most prequels — delivers the same thing “Underworld” fans have grown to love — hot vampires and cool fight scenes.
Many prequels will try to take a new twist on a working formula, which usually ends with a huge black mark on the entire franchise.
“Underworld” isn’t a huge franchise by any means, but it is something to be respected among the other films surrounding similar storylines.
Another issue with prequels is having established certain people live and certain people die and there is no way to change the ending.
The nit-picky side of me has a problem with the various liberties the filmmakers took in changing the story, but nothing too drastic was changed, which kept the integrity of the film intact.
I didn’t hate the film or love it. It fell right in the middle of enjoyable for a cold Saturday night where I could either see something starring Brendan Fraser or a film I may enjoy. Fraser never wins in this equation.
Fans of the monster genre will enjoy the film and a few general audiences may also appreciate the story, but if you aren’t sure if you will have an enjoyable time, you should rent the first two films. It will give you a good idea what is in store for you.
Remember, friends don’t let friends see movies with Brendan Fraser.

Starring: Rhona Mitra, Michael Sheen and Bill Nighy
Rated R for bloody violence and some sexuality

Rating: 2 stars

Defiance review

I have to admit I am a sucker for biopic films and WWII stories so I never stood a chance against “Defiance.”
I thought I had the film pegged as just another WWII survivor movie. I thought I had heard all the stories there were to hear and I was hoping this was going to be different.
My wish came true.
The movie tells the true story of the Bielski brothers whose families were killed by the Nazis in 1941.
Tuvia Bielski (Daniel Craig) and his brothers Zus (Liev Schreiber) and Asael (Jamie Bell) hide in the forest they played in as children.
As they travel through the forest, they find more Jews seeking refuge and take them under their wing. Soon, Tuvia goes on missions to find more Jews to bring to the forest for protection.
Zus, more fueled by revenge than grief at the death of his family decides to go on murderous rampages — killing any Nazis he can find.
With the number of people in the forest reaching the hundreds, the group begins to make the forest their home by building shelter, going on food missions and holding weddings.
The group faces many challenges including winter with little food, sickness and Nazis.
The film could be classified as an edge-of-your-seat thriller. It may be a thriller, but it is also one of the most inspiring films I have seen in years.
It is easy not to think about the individuals in the Holocaust when it is lumped into the term “six million people,” but when you are connected through a story or film such as this one, the terror of the event becomes clear.
There were several scenes which brought tears to my eyes. A rabbi asking God to choose another people to call his own so they would no longer have to suffer, or a group of angry Jews yelling out the names and ages of those they lost at the hands of the evil Nazi regime were more gut-wrenching then any violence in the film.
There were also moments of inspiration which caused a lump in my throat. Although it may have been a bit much to have Craig’s character literally riding a white horse, his speech about living being the revenge they took out on the Nazis was fascinating and awe-inspiring.
The greatest factors of the movie were the story and the characters, but the action also brought a lot to the table.
Watching the group of forest-dwelling Jews fighting off the Nazis was not only inspiring — it brought excitement to the table as well.
I was on the edge of my seat in every moment of action awaiting the outcome of who might live and who might die in the fight to save the small home these people had made for themselves.
Craig, Schreiber and Bell are the main characters in the film and not one of them did a terrible job requiring the others to pick up the slack and slowing the movie down.
Craig may be known for being a pretty face, but this film should prove to any non-believers he can act as well. His piercing blue eyes are great for showing his agony and suffering during his time as leader in the forest.
At several points throughout the film, he is required to convey a message without speaking and he does it to perfection.
It isn’t one of the greatest performances of all time, but it is good enough to keep a great film from falling to the “just good” category because of horrendous acting skills.
Schreiber has never been a leading man in films, but he could play a second-lead character with his hands tied behind his back and blindfolded. A veteran of the gloomy character, Schreiber is great as a brother fueled by revenge and not in the least bit by helping those in need — leading to clashes with Craig.
Although they look nothing alike, he and Craig are convincing as the brothers they are portraying. The two share glances anyone with a sibling can recognize and have a competition anyone with a brother can relate with.
I am also a sucker for films about brothers (“A River Runs Through It”, “Legends of the Fall”). This film may be a story of inspiration because of the group of people who defied the odds and survived in a forest for several years, but it is also an inspiring story about a family coming together.
I connected to the story between the brothers played by Craig and Schreiber, but Bell also held his own — even as the more whiny brother who has to find his spine through this harrowing adventure. I can tell Bell is a talented actor because he plays what would normally be an annoying character and makes him both endearing and likeable.
You never fault him for being afraid because he has every right to be afraid and he convinces you of that throughout the film.
It isn’t much to say it is my favorite film of the year because it is only January. However, it is one of the best war movies I have seen in several years, one of the most inspirational films I have seen in several years and one of the best family (brother) films I have seen in several years.

Starring: Daniel Craig, Jamie Bell and Liev Schreiber
Rated R for violence and language.
Rating: 4 stars

The Unborn Review

The newest craze in horror films is creepy children.
I don’t care who you are, creepy children is scary 9 times out of 10, but there is always one which is just so terrible, you wonder how it made it past the cutting room floor.
“The Unborn” is one of those films.
The remake of a Japanese horror film is a supernatural thriller that draws upon the legend of a dybbuk, a malevolent spirit that refuses to leave the human world and inhabits the body of a person.
Casey Beldon (Odette Yustman) is plagued by nightmares involving visions of scary-looking dogs and an evil child with bright blue eyes.
After being hit with a mirror by her neighbor’s son (yet another creepy child in the film), Casey’s eyes begin to change color and she learns she had a twin brother who died in the womb.
Casey discovers the spirit haunting her is the soul of her dead twin, being possessed by a dybbuk, wanting to be born so it can transfer to the world of the living.
Beldon goes to Rabbi Sendak (Gary Oldman), to help her perform a Jewish exorcism to remove the dybbuk, which leads to destruction, mayhem and death.
Normally, it would just be an average horror movie with a few scares here and there to at least make the film worth the money the audience spent to watch it.
Yustman’s acting brings down the entire film and she isn’t even required to act most of the film. She could just stand there and look pretty and get away with it, but no — she has to try to evoke emotion.
If I didn’t know any better, I would say her previous acting jobs included the time she was begging to stay out past curfew and told her parents her “life would be over” if they didn’t let her have it her way. She displays just about the same caliber of acting in this film.
Acting, even in horror films, should be somewhat realistic.
Actors should find a way to connect to the audience so they are involved in the film and care about whoever is being haunted by the ghost of their dead twin.
Yustman managed to get me involved in the film to the point where I wanted her to get taken over by the evil spirit so I wouldn’t have to deal with her whining anymore.
Meagan Good plays Yustman’s friend Romy, and also drove me insane through the film. She hopped from being a smart-alecky sidekick to terrified best friend every five minutes.
Oldman, a veteran actor, couldn’t even save the film. He is only in the movie for around 15 minutes, but he does his part well, as expected.
When I see a talented actor in a film like this I always want to write a letter asking if the money was just too good to be true or if they actually thought the film was going to be a step forward in their career.
I will give credit where credit is due in the film.
There were moments of real fright while I watched the 90-minute excuse for a horror movie. A few boo! moments here and there and a small amount scenes which crawl under your skin and creep you out. It is the best kind of scare — unfortunately there wasn’t enough to save this film from amounting to more than a wasted use of film.
It is my strong belief there are only a few good horror movies with a PG-13 rating. If the filmmakers are going to scare people, they have to employ some amount of gore. Horror also invokes reactions in people which don’t make them scream “Gee golly!” Dumbing down the fear factor dumbs down the movie.
You can’t expect a lot from a January film because this month is reserved as the time when the good films from Oscar season say goodbye. Do yourself a favor, stay at home and rent a good horror film.

Starring:Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman and Meagan Good
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and terror, disturbing images, thematic material and language including some sexual references.
Rating: One Star

Wrestler Review

One of my father’s favorite movies is “Rocky” starring Sylvester Stallone.
While I couldn’t understand what he was talking about at a young age, he would always tell me the film wasn’t about boxing — it was about Stallone overcoming obstacles and following his dream.
In the same vein, “The Wrestler” isn’t about wrestling — it’s about a an old, beat up man who realizes he is in his twilight years and he has nothing and no one to share it with.
Mickey Rourke plays the lead of Randy “The Ram” in the film. The film wasn’t written for Rourke, but the part fits him like a glove.
In his early career, Rourke was likened to Marlon Brando and James Dean. However, Rourke was a veritable train-wreck with emotional problems and a rock star attitude. He decided many years ago he wanted to be an amateur boxer instead of staying in the acting business.
His career in boxing didn’t go far and it ruined a face which earned him more than a few film roles as a heart throb.
A few years ago, Rourke decided to give the acting thing a try once again. His parts were small, but no one could deny he had talent.
“The Wrestler” is his first lead in a movie in several years and he delivers one of the top two performances of the year.
His character seems like Rourke in some alternate dimension where he decided to wrestle instead of act.
Randy “The Ram” lives in a broken down trailer, or his van when he doesn’t have money to pay the rent.
His walls and van are decorated with pictures and action figures of himself from his glory days nearly 20 years ago.
The old wrestler is forced to perform gigs at community centers and schools for next to no money, and the money he does get goes to booze, body enhancing drugs and strippers.
One particular stripper, Cassidy (Marissa Tomei) has also learned she is no longer in her prime after she no longer receives good tips and men don’t look at her twice.
Cassidy and Rourke are both broken down and tired in two entirely different walks of life, but find friendship and love with each other.
Rourke will get most of the credit for his performance in the film because it is both brilliant and heartbreakingkly real. The audience doesn’t feel like they are watching Rourke play a part in a film, they feel the actor is letting the world into his broken soul for two hours and showing how the pain of loneliness feels.
One of the most powerful things about Rourke’s performance is his subtle desperation.
It is obvious how much “The Ram” wants someone to love and someone to love him, which is shown in a number of heartbreaking scenes throughout the film.
Tomei delivers a powerful performance as Rourke’s female counterpart. The film focuses on Rourke’s loneliness and life, but Tomei does a fantastic job of reflecting a quieter sadness and fear. The film never delves deeply into her problems, but reminded the audience the film isn’t about wrestling, it’s about people and their inner battles.
Even Rachel Wood makes an appearance as Rourke’s daughter. I’m not a big fan of Wood or her previous work and she evoked no emotion from me one way or the other in this film.
Bruce Springsteen’s Golden Globe winning song, “The Wrestler,” which The Boss wrote specifically for the film, doesn’t appear until the credits role, but it’s a powerful ballad. Every emotion evoked from the film is wrapped into the song and tugs at the heartstrings of the audience.
The film is titled “The Wrestler” and the plot does touch on the sport from time to time. Watching wrestlers choreograph their matches with an opponent beforehand can be entertaining, but there are some surprisingly violent scenes.
In one instance, “The Ram” performs in an underground wresting gig and is thrown into real barbed wire and stapled with a staple gun. Almost too brutal to watch, but hard to look away from, the scene plays out like a car wreck on the side of the road.
Easily one of the best films of the year, but not the best.
Rourke won the Golden Globe for best actor and an Academy Award could follow, but he will be in the company of giants like Sean Penn and Frank Langella who gave powerhouse performances this year.
It is a great movie with wonderful performances and a touching story. However, saying this movie is about wrestling is like saying Rocky is about boxing — which steals both films of their true beauty and that is just wrong.

Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood
Rated R for violence, sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use.
Rating: 3 and a half stars

Gran Torino Review

There have been rumors swirling whether Clint Eastwood may retire from acting and only work behind the camera.
If “Gran Torino” is his last film role, he couldn’t have done a better job. Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, an old, recently widowed man stuck in the 50s.
He thinks children are disrespectful, America should only be for whites and there is no God. Needless to say, he isn’t pleased with the fact his neighborhood has an almost 100% Chinese population.
As a veteran of the Korean War, he doesn’t get along with his neighbors and prefers to spout racist remarks towards them rather than saying hello.
Eastwood is introduced to his neighbors when the teenage boy next door, Thao (Bee Vang), is pressured by a local gang to steal Eastwood’s prized possession, a 1972 Gran Torino.
After Eastwood fires a warning shot at the teens head, he flees and the gang learns of his failed attempt and decides to drag Thao to another initiation.
A fight breaks out and Eastwood takes matters into his own hand by pointing his rifle at the gang leader and growling at them to leave.
When the gang leaves, the neighborhood views Eastwood as a hero and begin bringing him gifts.
At first he resists, but after befriending Thao’s older sister, Sue (Ahney Her), starts becoming close to the family.
Eastwood decides to teach Thao how to be a man and all the responsibilities which come with the title.
The relationship between the two unfolds in a hilarious but touching way. Eastwood refuses to change the way he talks about other races, but Thao and Sue love him anyway and give it right back to him.
Unfortunately, Her and Vang are terrible actors.
When trying to perform any emotion besides calm, they come across as flat and unconvincing. Several scenes are almost ruined because of their poor acting.
Luckily for them, Eastwood is on his A-game and easily carries the film on his rough and gruff shoulders. On most people, his voice/growl would come across as over-the-top or cheesy, but he makes it fit the character.
While his character should be neither sympathetic or likeable, Eastwood makes him both for the audience. You want to be his friend despite his mean demeanor.
Like most Eastwood films, it is shot in a simple manor, but comes across as powerful because of the strong story.
The sets aren’t gorgeous, but they look like a neighborhood you might know someone in, which draws in those watching the film.
Had the two supporting actors been good actors the movie and would have been terrific. I still enjoyed it immensely, would recommend it to anyone and watch it again, but part of the reality which makes the film great is lost on Her and Vang.
The film is a must see for the holiday season and a definite awards contender for Best Actor and possibly Best Picture (if the rest of the Academy can get beyond the supporting cast).

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Bee Vang and Ahney Her
Rated R for language and some violence.

Rating: Three and a half stars